Roller skate with angled wheels

Abstract

A roller skate has a base, a plurality of tandem frames, a like plurality of axles, and a like plurality of wheels. Each frame is affixed to the base and has bilateral, spaced apart, opposing side walls that define a wheel well. Adjacent side walls of the frames are interconnected to form unitary opposing structures. The side walls of one of the frames is angularly related to the side walls of at least one of the other frames. Each axle is carried in a wheel well by the side walls of one of the frames. Each wheel is disposed within one of the wheel wells and mounted for rotation on the axle in the wheel well. The wheel wells are either equally or unequally spaced. The roller skate may further include an article of footwear, such as a shoe or a boot, to which the base is either affixed or integral. Additionally, at least one brace may interconnect the opposing walls of at least one frame.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An undercarriage for a roller skate, the undercarriage comprising a plurality of tandem frames disposed about a longitudinal axis, each frame having bilateral, spaced apart, opposing side walls defining a wheel well, wherein adjacent side walls are interconnected, wherein the side walls of a first frame are angularly related to the side walls of at least a second frame, wherein each side wall of each frame includes an axle support, and wherein at least the side walls of the first frame are nonparallel to at least side walls of the second frame in a projection of at least the first and second frames on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       2. The undercarriage of  claim 1  wherein the wheel wells are equally spaced. 
     
     
       3. The undercarriage of  claim 1  wherein the wheel wells are unequally spaced. 
     
     
       4. The undercarriage of  claim 1  further including a like plurality of axles, each axle carried by the axle supports of the side walls of one of the frames. 
     
     
       5. The undercarriage of  claim 4  further including a like plurality of wheels, each wheel disposed in one of the wheel wells and mounted for rotation on the axle carried by the axle supports of the side walls of the frame defining the wheel well. 
     
     
       6. The undercarriage of  claim 1  further including mounting tabs affixed to at least one of the side walls for mounting the undercarriage to the sole of an article of footwear. 
     
     
       7. The undercarriage of  claim 1  further including at least one mounting plate configured for mounting to the sole of an article of footwear and wherein at least one of the side walls is mounted to the at least one mounting plate. 
     
     
       8. The undercarriage of  claim 1  further including at least one brace interconnecting the opposing walls of at least one frame. 
     
     
       9. The undercarriage of  claim 1  wherein the side walls of the first frame are angularly related to the side walls of the at least second frame at an angle of between about eleven and about twenty degrees. 
     
     
       10. A roller skate comprising: 
       (a) a base;  
       (b) a plurality of tandem frames disposed about a longitudinal axis and affixed to the base, each frame having bilateral, spaced apart, opposing side walls defining a wheel well, wherein adjacent side walls are interconnected, wherein the side walls of a first frame are angularly related to the side walls of at least a second frame, and wherein at least the side walls of the first frame are nonparallel to at least side walls of the second frame in a projection of at least the first and second frames on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;  
       (c) a like plurality of axle, each axle carried by the side walls of one of the frames; and,  
       (d) a like plurality of wheels, each wheel disposed in one of the wheel wells and mounted for rotation on the axle carried by the axle supports of the side walls of the frame defining the wheel well.  
     
     
       11. The roller skate of  claim 10  wherein the wheel wells are equally spaced. 
     
     
       12. The roller skate of  claim 10  wherein the wheel wells are unequally spaced. 
     
     
       13. The roller skate of  claim 10  further including an article of footwear and wherein the base is affixed to the article footwear. 
     
     
       14. The roller skate of  claim 10  further including an article of footwear and wherein the base is integral to the article of footwear. 
     
     
       15. The roller skate of  claim 10  further including at least one brace interconnecting the opposing walls of at least one frame. 
     
     
       16. The roller skate of  claim 10  wherein the side walls of the first frame are angularly related to the side walls of the at least second frame at an angle of between about eleven and about twenty degrees. 
     
     
       17. A roller skate comprising: 
       (a) a base:  
       (b) a plurality of tandem frames disposed about a longitudinal axis and affixed to the base, each frame having bilateral, spaced apart, opposing side walls defining a wheel well, wherein adjacent side walls are interconnected, wherein the side walls of a first frame are non-parallel to the side walls of at least a second frame;  
       (c) a like plurality of axles, each axle carried by the side walls of one of the frames, wherein at least the axle carried by at least the first frame is nonparallel to at least the axle carried by the second frame in a projection of at least the axles carried by the first and second frames on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and,  
       (d) a like plurality of wheels, each wheel disposed in one of the wheel wells and mounted for rotation on the axle carried by the axle supports of the side walls of the frame defining the wheel well.  
     
     
       18. The roller skate of  claim 17  further including at least one brace interconnecting the opposing walls of at least one frame. 
     
     
       19. The roller skate of  claim 17  wherein the side walls of the first frame are angularly related to the side walls of the at least second frame at an angle of between about eleven and about twenty degrees.